The present invention relates to masking surface areas prior to removing harmful or detrimental materials from adjacent surfaces. More particularly the invention is related to devices used to mask walls in a room prior to removing dust, debris, paint, plaster, insulation or other more toxic substances such as asbestos fibers during asbestos abatement projects.
The process of asbestos abatement requires the careful, thorough and complete encapsulation of all room surfaces prior to the asbestos removal. In the past, the masking has been time consuming and awkward. The current method according to accepted standards is to hang a sheet of film, typically twelve feet wide, from the wall being covered. The sheet is secured with duct tape, spray adhesive and staples. The process is then repeated resulting in two layers of protective masking covering the walls.
A plastic film ordinarily is used as the masking material. The film covers the walls and floor of a room from whose ceiling the asbestos is usually scraped. Normal wall heights are approximately from about 7 to about 9 feet. The typical width of the available plastic film is 10 feet. The plastic sheets are generally folded many times upon a roll to facilitate shipping, handling and storage. The rolls therefore have widths less than the width of the unrolled and unfolded sheet. A variety of fold patterns may be used to fold a 10 or 20 feet wide sheet into a 3 feet wide roll.
The application of the plastic film remains a tedious operation. First, the worker unrolls and, if necessary, cuts the film from the roll to a dimension somewhat longer than the perimeter of the room being encapsulated. Without unfolding the detached length, the worker positions the plastic and affixes it at the highest point of the wall using a combination of spray, adhesive tape and staples, if possible. The material is then unfolded and extended completely to the floor where it is also secured using the adhesives and tape. The entire process is then repeated by the worker, using a second roll of material with the end result being two individual layers of barrier film attached to the wall surface. Extreme care must be taken in this phase to insure that there are no gaps left between the tape and the upper edge of the masked sheet which would later allow the removed asbestos to contaminate wall surfaces.
According to the known methods outlined above, three or more workers are required to simultaneously attach the masking material, and apply the spray, tape and staples along the wall. Such masking barrier application methods are time consuming and expensive. Methods and apparatuses are known in the art that provide plastic sheets incorporating a strip of adhesive at one end of the sheet. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,263,347; Re 19,128; 5,640,827 and 5,328,729. However, none of the known methods and apparatuses for applying a barrier film allows for the easy and efficient installation of a multiple ply barrier film.
According to one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a specially made barrier material and a method for making a roll of barrier material. Barrier sheet material is provided with the material folded at least once laterally. The barrier sheet has first and second sides, top and bottom ends, and a pair of sides. The sheet further has a laterally extending midpoint. The sheet incorporates an adhesive strip applied to at least one side of the sheet at a predetermined distance from the top and bottom ends, preferably approximately at the midpoint. The sheet is then folded in a predetermined fashion, and rolled onto a roll. Preferably, the adhesive strip is applied after the film has been folded in a predetermined fashion, and just prior to the winding of the folded sheet onto the roll. The adhesive strip preferably is oriented near the lengthwise midpoint of the roll, and the sheet is folded multiply. The adhesive strip is oriented such that when the sheet is unrolled from the roll and unfolded, the strip will approximately bisect the sheet in the lengthwise direction.
According to a further embodiment, the present invention provides a method of applying a barrier material to a structure. A roll of barrier material is provided. The rolled material has an elongated sheet having a first side and a second side, and a top end and a bottom end, and a laterally located midpoint. Preferably, the sheet is folded along its length to form a folded sheet defined by at least one fold with an adhesive strip positioned at a predetermined distance from the top and bottom ends, preferably approximately at the lengthwise midpoint of the sheet. A predetermined length of folded sheet is extended and cut from the roll. The free, but still folded sheet is affixed to the structure by removing a backing material from the adhesive strip and pressing the product against the structure.
In a still further embodiment, the present invention provides a barrier sheet having a first side and a second side, and a top edge and a bottom edge. Further, the sheet has a midpoint located lengthwise along the sheet, approximately bisecting the sheet lengthwise. The sheet is folded along its length to form a folded sheet defined by at least one fold with at least one adhesive strip positioned at a predetermined distance from the top and bottom edges, and preferably approximately at the sheet""s lengthwise midpoint.